Background

DRC Uganda is currently looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to join our dynamic team a Sustainable Land Management Officer. The role is conditional upon funding being secured for the project.

Overall Purpose of the Role

The Sustainable Land Management Officer will lead the planning, implementation, and monitoring of Sustainable Land Management interventions under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) in refugee settlements. The role focuses on supporting farmer groups in adopting climate smart soil and water conservation practices, promoting ecological restoration, facilitating land access arrangements, and ensuring that project activities contribute to the target of bringing a minimum of 3,000 hectares under sustainable land management. The Sustainable Land Management Officer will work closely with district authorities, settlement leadership, community-based facilitators, and farmer institutions to implement context appropriate Sustainable Land Management technologies, contribute to environmental safeguards, and support integrated land use planning in line with Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) requirements.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead field level implementation of Sustainable Land Management practices including soil and water conservation, agroforestry, contour bunding, mulching, composting, rainwater harvesting and small-scale irrigation.
• Support farmer groups in integrating Sustainable Land Management measures within crop, livestock and beneficial insect value chain activities.
• Coordinate land access processes for block farming models, supporting dialogue between landowners, host communities, refugee leadership and local government structures.
• Guide ecological restoration activities, including reforestation, woodlot establishment, watershed protection and rehabilitation of degraded landscapes.
• Ensure all Sustainable Land Management work complies with Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) environmental and social safeguards, including site screening, Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) implementation and monitoring of environmental indicators.
• Train community-based facilitators and lead farmers to sustain Sustainable Land Management practices, and provide continuous technical backstopping.
• Support the establishment of demonstration plots for climate smart land management.
• Collect field data, document hectares under Sustainable Land Management, and support reporting through digital tools such as Kobo Toolbox.
• Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) teams to verify results, contribute to joint supervision missions, and support adaptive management based on field learning.
• Collaborate with district production offices, Office of the Prime Minister settlement commandants, and community structures during planning, implementation and monitoring.
• Contribute to community awareness campaigns on environmental stewardship, climate change and sustainable land use.

About you

To be successful in this role, we expect you to have a Minimum of 5 years of practical experience in sustainable land management, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, climate smart agriculture or ecological restoration in rural or humanitarian settings. Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, agriculture, forestry, land and water management, climate change or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Sustainable Land Management interventions in Uganda, preferably in refugee hosting districts.
• Knowledge of community based natural resource management, land use planning and participatory extension approaches.
• Experience supporting farmer groups, training community facilitators and applying Farmer Field School or related methodologies.
• Familiarity with World Bank environmental and social framework, environmental safeguards, and risk mitigation measures.
• Ability to apply digital data collection tools, monitor environmental indicators and document hectares placed under Sustainable Land Management.
• Strong coordination skills with district local governments, Office of the Prime Minister and settlement leadership.
• Experience promoting energy saving and climate smart technologies is an advantage.
• Fluency in written & Spoken English.

Desirable

• Postgraduate training in Sustainable Land Management, climate resilience, land restoration or watershed management is an added advantage
• Knowledge of local languages spoken in refugee settlements is an asset (Swahili, Luo/Acholi, Kinyabwisha, Arabic, Lingala, French or Madi).

Core Competencies

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

Designation of Duty Station: Refugee Settlements in Uganda (district depending on assignment)

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for national employees; please refer to our website.

• Lead field level implementation of Sustainable Land Management practices including soil and water conservation, agroforestry, contour bunding, mulching, composting, rainwater harvesting and small-scale irrigation.
• Support farmer groups in integrating Sustainable Land Management measures within crop, livestock and beneficial insect value chain activities.
• Coordinate land access processes for block farming models, supporting dialogue between landowners, host communities, refugee leadership and local government structures.
• Guide ecological restoration activities, including reforestation, woodlot establishment, watershed protection and rehabilitation of degraded landscapes.
• Ensure all Sustainable Land Management work complies with Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) environmental and social safeguards, including site screening, Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) implementation and monitoring of environmental indicators.
• Train community-based facilitators and lead farmers to sustain Sustainable Land Management practices, and provide continuous technical backstopping.
• Support the establishment of demonstration plots for climate smart land management.
• Collect field data, document hectares under Sustainable Land Management, and support reporting through digital tools such as Kobo Toolbox.
• Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) teams to verify results, contribute to joint supervision missions, and support adaptive management based on field learning.
• Collaborate with district production offices, Office of the Prime Minister settlement commandants, and community structures during planning, implementation and monitoring.
• Contribute to community awareness campaigns on environmental stewardship, climate change and sustainable land use.

• Ability to apply digital data collection tools, monitor environmental indicators and document hectares placed under Sustainable Land Management.
• Strong coordination skills with district local governments, Office of the Prime Minister and settlement leadership.
• Fluency in written & Spoken English.

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, agriculture, forestry, land and water management, climate change or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Sustainable Land Management interventions in Uganda, preferably in refugee hosting districts.
• Knowledge of community based natural resource management, land use planning and participatory extension approaches.
• Experience supporting farmer groups, training community facilitators and applying Farmer Field School or related methodologies.
• Familiarity with World Bank environmental and social framework, environmental safeguards, and risk mitigation measures.
• Postgraduate training in Sustainable Land Management, climate resilience, land restoration or watershed management is an added advantage
• Knowledge of local languages spoken in refugee settlements is an asset (Swahili, Luo/Acholi, Kinyabwisha, Arabic, Lingala, French or Madi).